Meconium Plug
Grace is our beautiful 5 year old daughter. She was born three months early due to complications with my pregnancy. I was told if she was not born that day I would die. She was born at UAB weighing only 1 pound, 15 ounces. She was not doing well after birth. Her lungs were not mature and she was on the ventilator. She had IV's coming from her umbilical cord and was under the lights most of the time. When they tried to feed her through a tube her belly blew up. It turned blue and the food was not digesting. Unsure what was wrong, the doctors gave her many antibiotics and took lots of X-rays, but were unable to find the problem. After nine days at UAB she was transferred to Children’s. She had not had any food the whole time and was down to 1 pound, 9 ounces. At Children's Hospital they had the ability to do a Barium enema on a baby small enough to hold in one hand. They found she had a meconium plug and were able to clear her system. Within a few days she was off the ventilator and we were able to hold our baby girl for the first time—18 days after she was born. We called her our little glow worm. She still required oxygen for a couple of months, but she recovered miraculously. Grace is now with us because of the wonderful doctors and nurses at Children's Hospital. Without Children's Hospital we would not have our beautiful daughter. Children's Hospital was there with not only the best testing and equipment for our preemie, but also the kindest people. The nurses were always willing to talk to you and answer questions and they were also great encouraging bonding with our baby. It is hard to feel comfortable holding a baby that is less than two pounds with oxygen and multiple tubes, but the staff was loving and supportive and there to help. Our family will always be grateful to Children's for the blessings they have given us. We would not have Grace if we did not have Children's.
